Vehicle rear end signal light warning system



July 30, 1968 J. R. HENDRICKSON 3,395,388

VEHICLE READ END SIGNAL LIGHT WARNING SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 1 If/ 5 A TT'ORNEY J y 1963 J. R. HENDRICKSON 3,395,388

VEHICLE READ END SIGNAL LIGHT WARNING SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 2 24- T 29 3? 6 35 Z7 Z6 3/ a 33 zi f mlllllliit 2| INVENTOR. J'ac'l" We/zdrz'cksa/z BY mm 4. we

HIS ATTORNEY July 30, 1968 J. R. HENDRICKSON 3,395,388

VEHICLE READ END SIGNAL LIGHT WARNING SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Hlllll.

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HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,395,388 VEHICLE REAR END SIGNALLIGHT WARNING SYSTEM Jack R. Hendrickson, 3665 Burning Tree, BloomfieldHills, Mich. 48013 Filed May 27, 1965, Scr. No. 459,277 4 Claims. (Cl.340-71) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Improved vehicle rear end warningmeans are disclosed for use with an automotive vehicle having a methodof warning as to the application of the vehicles brakes by emitting atleast one red brake light. Said means and method comprising an amber andgreen only warning system characterized by extreme simplicity in thatparallel electrical paths are employed in parallel with the vehiclesbrake circuit each of which consists of only one type of electricalelement. The emission of said green and amber lights is in horizontallydisposed separate areas to produce eye movement therebetween foralerting an observer.

This invention relates to improvements in automotive vehicle rear endWarning means for signaling to trailing vehicles changes in vehiclevelocity status.

Prior proposed warning means of this type have not been adopted byautomotive vehicle manufacturers because of drawbacks of one sort oranother among which are complexity as witness the warning meansdisclosed in US. patents to Stafford No. 2,275,695 and to Danek No.2,760,113.

The improved vehicle rear end Warning means of the present invention ischaracterized by its extreme simplicity and low cost by which it hasappeal to automotive vehicle manufacturers. It can be incorporated asoriginal equipment in new vehicles or sold in the after market forinstallation on existing vehicles.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision ofsimplified and entirely practical vehicle rear end warning means whichrenders an automobile a safer instrument of travel by materiallyassisting in curbing rear end collisions in trafiic. This isparticularly significant today in view of the rising injuries andfatalities on Americas highways. Recently a high government ofiicial whoinstituted an investigation into traffic safety remarked that theautomobile itself has become increasingly letha The vehicle rear endwarning means of the present invention signals the idle condition of thevehicle by suitably colored lights visible from the rear of the vehicleand upon a change to underway condition said means signals such changefrom idle to underway condition by other suitably colored lights at thesame eye level. Also during said underway condition said means signalssudden release of the vehicle accelerator by the first-mentioned coloredlights.

The foregoing object of the invention and its advantages will becomeapparent during the course of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile equipped withthe improved rear end warning means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 1 of anautomobile equipped with a different form of signal lamp housing meansconstituting a part of the present invention;

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2A, 2B are cross-sectional and perspective views,respectively, of the signal housing means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

3,395,383 Patented July 30, 1968 FIGS. 3, 7 and 8 are circuit diagramsof electrical circuit means constituting a part of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 4, 4A and 5 and 6 are elevational views partly in section ofdifferent switch actuating means constituting part of the presentinvention; and

FIGS. 9 and 9A are elevational views partly in section of brake actuateddisabling means embodying the in vention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, 10 designates an automobilewhich is equipped with the improved automotive vehicle rear end warningmeans of the present invention which includes signal lamp housing means12 mounted on the rear deck 13 of the automobile 10 behind the hingeline 14 for the rear deck lid 15.

The housing means 12 comprises a housing member 16 which is closed atits top, bottom, rear and sides and open in the front. The member 16 iscompartmented as shown at 11 and each compartment is provided with asocket and bulb so that the light emitted from each lamp is directed outof the respective compartment at the front of the member 16. The bulb 17together with a green colored lens 18 constitutes a central green signallamp G. The bulbs 19 which are connected in parallel together with apair of amber colored lenses 20 constitute outboard amber signal lampsA. The lenses 18 and 20 are mounted together into an assembly by a bezel21 which affixes to the member 16 and closes off its open front so thatthe green and amber lights G and A of the housing means 12 are emittedcentrally and outboard with respect to each other. Their positions ofcourse can be reversed so that the green lights are outboard in respectto the amber light. Mounting means 22 are affixed to the bottom wall ofthe member 16 at its front end so that it can slip over the edge of therear deck 13 at the hinge line 14 to secure the housing means to theautomobile 10 so that it faces rearwardly.

In FIG. 2 the automobile 210 is equipped with a signal lamp housingmeans 212 which is the subject matter of my copending design patentapplication S.N. 7,526, filed June 20, 1967. In this form of housingmeans 212 the principal housing member 216 in the form of a bezel isfitted into the automobile body 215 and beneath the rear deck lid 214and holds a bulb 217 and lens assembly 218 which has a green coloredglass front face and constitutes the central green signal lamp G. Thebulbs 219 and separate lens assemblies 220 which have amber coloredglass front faces are similarly held in the housing member 216 andconstitute the outboard amber signal lamps A. The member 216 holdsconventional red stop lamps R outboard of the pair of amber lamps A.

Referring now to the embodiment of electrical circuit means of FIG. 3one side of the out-board amber signal lamps A are connected by anelectrical line 24 to one contact 25 of switch means 27 which isactuated as will be described when the vehicle is accelerated. The otherside of the lamps A are individually grounded by the line 529. Thecentral green signal lamp G is connected to ground on one side by theline 31 and on the other side by the line 32 to another contact 26 ofthe same switch means 27. The switch means 27 in this instance is asingle pole double throw type switch, the pole 28 of which is connectedvia the center switch contact 33 and the line 34 to one side of thevehicle ignition switch 35. The other side of the ignition switch 35 isconnected by the line 36 to one side of the vehicle battery 38 the otherside of which battery is grounded by the line 39. The switch means 27has two operational positions corresponding to the throws of its poles.One of these is a normally held position in which the pole 28 is held inengagement with the switch contact or contacts 25. The other position isan actuated position in which the pole 28 is thrown into engagement withthe switch contact or contacts 26 by switch actuating means of thepresent invention to be described. In the normally held position of theswitch 27 the amber lamp or lamps A are placed in series with theignition switch so that whenever the vehicle is under power but notaccelerating the amber lamp or lamps A are energized. In the event thevehicle is accelerated the switch means 27 is actuated by the means tobe described and its pole 28 thrown to its other operational position toplace the green lamp G in series with the ignition switch 35. In FIG. 6the conventional vehicle brake circuit consisting of the brake actuatedstop light switch connected by the line 42 to one side of the normal redstop lights R the other side of which is grounded by the lines 43 isshown connected by the line 36 to the hot side of the ignition switch 35but it is not utilized or affectedby the electrical circuit means shownin FIG. 6.

In FIGS. 4 and 4A are shown one form of switch means 27 which comprisesa cylinder and piston type switch 127 the pole 128 of which is connectedas a piston rod to a piston 44 which is slidably carried in a chamber 45mounted on the vehicle firewall 46. The chamber 45 is lined withconductive sleeves 125 and 126 electrically connected to externalconnecting members to which the lines 24 and 32, respectively, areconnected. An insulating sleeve 47 of axial length greater than thethickness of the piston 44 separates the sleeves 47 and 48. The pole12-8 operates out of the end of the chamber 45 which is mounted on thefirewall 46 and through an extension member 50 which carries aconductive sleeve 133 in sliding contact with the pole 128 which sleeve133 is electrically connected to an external connecting member to whichthe line 34 is connected. The pole 128 is connected to the acceleratorpedal 52 and is urged toward the mounted end of the chamber 45 by acompression spring 53 which is concentrically disposed about a rod 54projecting from the side of the piston 44 opposite the pole 128. Thelinkage 51 which interconnects the accelerator pedal 50 with thecarburetor butterfly valve (not shown) of course is normally biasedtoward the passenger compartment by well known means to maintain thepedal 52 in its non-depressed condition. Whenever the accelerator pedal52 is in its. undepressed condition the piston 44 is disposed within thechamber 45 soas to be in contact with the sleeve 125 which places theamber lights A in series with the vehicle ignition switch 35. When thevehicle is underway from depress-ion of the accelerator pedal 50 thepiston 44 moves over the insulating sleeve 47 and into contact with theconductive sleeve 126 to place the green lights G in series with theignition switch 35. Upon sudden release of the accelerator pedal 50which usually precedes a braking action the piston 44 is returned toitsnormally held non-depressed position in which it is in electricalcontact with the sleeve 125.

Another form of switch means 27 is shown in FIG. 5 which comprises acylinder and piston type switch 227 the pole 228 of which is connectedas a piston rod to a piston 56 which is slidably carried in a chamber 58one end of which is connected via the conduit 59 to the intake manifold60 of the vehicle engine 61. The pole 228 has aflixed to it anelectrical contact member 62 which engages switch contacts 225 and 233in the normally held position of the switch 227 which is dependent uponthe vacuum in the intake manifold. 60 whenv the vehicle engine is idlingwhich vacuum holds the piston 56 against the urging of a tension spring64. The spring 64 operates between the other end of the chamber 58 andthe rod side of the piston 56, and urges the pole to the right in FIG.5. The vacuum which is preselected to hold the switch in its normallyheld position is that created when the vehicle engine is in idlecondition. In the normally held position of the switch 227 the amberlamps A are connected in series with the vehicle ignition switch 35.Upon a decrease in vacuum in the intake manifold 60 from acceleration ofthe vehicle below the preset idle vacuum the spring 64 throws the pole228 to its other operational position in which the contact member 62engages switch contacts 233 and 226 to place the green la'mp G in serieswith the ignition switch 35. The nut 63 is cap-able of moving the plate57 inwardly of the chamber 58 to decrease the tension upon the spring 65so as to preselect the vacuum required tohold the pole 228 in theposition shown for it in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 shows still another form of switch means 27 which comprises agovernor type switch 327 having a pole 328 connected to a collar 65which is slidable on shaft 66 rotata-bly mounted in a housing 69 andcarrying a pinion gear 67 which meshes with a gear 68 on a shaft 70connected to the vehicle crankshaft 72. The slidable collar 65 isconnected by link-s 73 and a pair of weights 75 to a fixed collar 76which is fast on the shaft 66. The compression spring 78 which isconcentrically disposed about the shaft 66 operate-s upon the collar 65to hold the pole 328 so that its contact 333 engages switch contact 325to place the amber lamps A in series with the ignition switch 35. Upon apredetermined increase in. the rotational speed of the crankshaft 72 thepole 328 is thrown by the spreading movement of the weights 75 outwardlyaway from the shaft 66 which pulls the collar 65 and the pole 328 sothat the contact 333 on the latter engages switch contact 326 to placethe green lamps G in series with the ignition switch 35. The mechanism80 is adjustable axially of the shaft 66 in preselected fixed positionsto vary the compression on the spring 78 so that the predeterminedrotational speed at which the pole 328 is thrown is adjustable. Thepreselected rotational speed at which the contact 333 is maintainedengaged with the contact 325 is that corresponding to idle condition ofthe vehicle engine.

In FIG. 7 a pair of normally closed contacts 82 of an electromagneticrelay 83 is placed in series in the energizing circuit between theignition switch 35 and the switch means 27 by the lines 84 and 85. Theelectromagnet 86 of the relay 83 is placed in series in the brakecircuit between the stop light switch 40 and the stop lights R by thelines 87 and 88. Energization of the electromagnet 86 upon applicationof the vehicle brakes opens the contacts 82 to disable the energizingcircuit so that the amber signal lamps A will be de-energized at thetime that the vehicle brakes are applied. Upon release of the vehiclebrakes the electromagnet 86 will be de-energized and the contacts 82will be closed to reestablish energization of the amber signal lamps A.

Another form of brake actuated disabling means for double throw switchthe poles of which are separately connected in the brake light circuitand in the energizing circuit for the warning means of the presentinvention. The poles of the switch 90 are designated 91 and 93 and areconnected to the center switch contacts 94 and 95, respectively, whichare in turn connected on opposite sides of the ignition switch 35 by thelines 96 and 97. Switch contacts 98 are unconnected and the switchcontact 99 is connected to the switch contact 33 of the switch means 27by the line 100 while the switch contact 101 is connected to the stoplights R by the line 102. The switch 90 is normally held so that itspole 91 wall 54. A plunger 105 is slidably carried in and operates outof one end 106 of the housing 103. The plunger 105 is affixed to thepoles 91 and 93 and is biased outwardly of the housing 103 by thecompression spring 106 which causes the plunger 105 to follow themovement of the brake pedal supporting arm 107 so that the poles 91 and93 are held against the urging of the spring 106 by the arm 107 in thepositions shown in FIG. 9 so that the switch means 27 is in series withthe ignition switch 35 and the stop lights R are de-energized in theundepressed position of the brake pedal. When the latter is depressedthe plunger 105 follows the arm 107 and throws the poles 91 and 93 totheir opposite operational positions in which the energizing circuit isdisabled and the stop lights R are energized.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by the presentinvention improved automotive vehicle rear end warning means in whichthe object hereinabove set forth together with many other thoroughlypractical advantages has been successfully achieved. Such rear endwarning means provides a side by side disposition of electrical signallamps capable of emitting differently colored lights visible at the sameeye level from a trailing vehicle. By virtue of such means beingincluded in automotive vehicles drivers are given warning of thevelocity status and of the impending application of brakes in thevehicle ahead. The time elapsed in applying brakes is utilized forsignaling to the vehicle behind and this vehicle in turn utilizes suchelapsed time for the same purpose with the result that trailing vehiclesare given longer advance warning of the application of brakes by thevehicles ahead. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has beenshown and described it is to be understood that variations and changesmay be resorted to without departing from the ambit of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automotive vehicle having a braking system which includes anelectrical brake circuit having a brake switch and at least oneelectrical signal lamp in series therewith across the vehicles battery,said signal lamp emitting a red colored light upon closing of said brakeswitch upon application of the vehicles brakes, improved rear endwarning means for signaling changes in velocity status of said vehicleto trailing vehicles comprising, in combination, housing means mountedat the rear of said vehicle and housing at least a pair of electricalsignal lamps which, upon being energized, are capable of emitting amberand green colored lights, respectively, visible in respect to a trailingvehicle, an energizing warning circuit across the vehicles battery andin parallel amber said brake circuit for separately energizing saidamber and green lamps comprising a pair of parallel electrical pathseach consisting of only one type of electrical element which is at leastone of said lamps disabling means including, normally closed actuatedopen switch means in series with the vehicle ignition switch, said brakeswitch and said normally closed actuated open switch means beingdistinct electrical elements, and single pole double throw switch meansalternately connecting one or the other of said paths in series withsaid vehicle ignition switch through said normally closed actuated openswitch means, said disabling means operable in conjunction with thevehicle brake system to open said normally closed actuated open switchmeans to break the entire said energizing warning circuit upon actuationof the vehicle brakes, said normally closed actuated open switch meansbeing functionally independent of said single pole double throw switchmeans but said single pole double throw switch means being functionallydependent upon said normally closed actuated open switch means, saidenergizing warning circuit being re-activated independently of theposition of said single pole double throw switch upon re-closing of saidnormally closed activated open switch means consequent upon opening ofsaid brake switch upon release of the vehicle brakes.

2. Improved vehicle rear end warning means as claimed in claim 1including a double pole double throw switch actuated by movement of thevehicle brake pedal, said normally closed actuated open switch meanscomprising one pole of said double pole switch, the other pole of saiddouble pole switch in series with the vehicle stop lights, said one poleopening and the other closing upon actuation of the vehicle brake pedalto break the entire said energizing warning circuit and to make the stoplight circuit.

3. Improved vehicle rear end warning means as claimed in claim 1including a disabling circuit in parallel with said energizing circuitand said battery comprising electrical means operable in conjunctionwith actuation of the vehicle brakes to open said normally closedactuated open switch means to break said energizing circuit.

4. Improved vehicle rear end warning means as claimed in claim 3including an electromagnetic relay, said normally closed actuated openswitch means comprising normally closed contacts of said relay, theelectromagnet of said relay being in series with the vehicle stop lightswitch, said normally closed relay contacts being opened uponenergization of said electromagnet, said disabling circuit being madeupon actuation of the vehicle brakes to energize said electromagnet tobreak said energizing circuit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,513,712 7/1950 Coombs 340-662,685,048 7/1954 Schweitzer 340-62 X 2,698,403 12/1954 Woodham 340-66 X2,750,578 6/ 1956 Petrella et al. 340-66 X 2,751,522 6/1956 Spangenberg340-66 X 2,760,113 8/1956 Danek 340-71 X 2,832,864 4/1958 Rapp 340-71 X2,833,880 5/1958 Repkow 340-71 X 3,320,586 5/1967 Wagner 340-66 JOHN W.CALDWELL, Primary Examiner. A. H. WARING, Assistant Examiner.

8 Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,395,388 July 30, 1968 Jack R. Hendrickson It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby cornected as shown below Column 5, line '51, "amber" should readwith line 55, after "lamps" insert a comma; line 56, "including," shouldread including Signed and sealed this 13th day of October 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, IR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

